DOVER — The state attorney general is objecting to requests from Foster's Daily Democrat and two other New Hampshire newspapers for the court to release documents that relate to the murder of Elizabeth Marriott.

Marriott, a 19-year-old University of New Hampshire student, was last seen on Tuesday, Oct. 9, and is presumed to dead. Prosecutors allege Marriott was either strangled or suffocated inside an apartment on Mill Street by a 29-year-old Dover man the night she went missing.

The suspect, Seth Mazzaglia, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Marriott's death. Prosecutors have said Mazzaglia, an aspiring actor and martial arts instructor, resided in the apartment where Marriott was killed.

However, few other details regarding the police investigation have been released, and documents that could offer new insight on the case remain under seal at Dover District Court.

Foster's, the Portsmouth Herald and the New Hampshire Union leader have each filed requests asking a Dover judge to release investigatory materials to the public. Such materials would include search and arrest warrants and police affidavits.

The attorney general's office filed an objection to the requests on Oct. 24, arguing public disclosure of court documents could jeopardize the criminal investigation.

In particular, the police affidavits on file in the Dover court house contain information that will reveal the “nature, scope, and direction” of the criminal case, according to a motion from Assistant Attorney General James Vara.

“These documents reveal facts that are truly known to only a few individuals,” Vara wrote, “and release of this information to the general public prior to the completion of the grand jury process and prior to indictment would provide the target(s) of this investigation with an opportunity to coordinate testimony with potential witnesses, present a situation where potential witnesses could destroy evidence or modify their own testimony, present a situation where particular witnesses could flee the jurisdiction, or otherwise negatively impact the investigative and grand jury process.”

Further, Vara argued releasing court documents could threaten the integrity of the grand jury process, which should be conducted in secrecy and “without the glare of the media.”

“In fact, intense media scrutiny can thwart the grand jury's ability to investigate criminal activity,” Vara wrote. “Witnesses who are subject to intense media scrutiny, such as that which surrounds this case, may be reluctant to come forward or attempt to avoid grand jury process in order to stay out of the media spotlight."

Mazzaglia is due to appear in court on Monday, Oct. 29, for a probable cause hearing on the second-degree murder charge. A hearing is scheduled to take place the same day regarding requests from the media to unseal court documents in the case.

The search for Marriott's body spread this week from Peirce Island in Portsmouth, where it has been concentrated, to the waters near Fox Point Road in Newington. Marine patrol officers from New Hampshire and Maine have worked jointly in the effort, along with members of New Hampshire Fish and Game the U.S. Coast Guard. Volunteers have also been visiting the Portsmouth waterfront to offer their assistance.